[JimDirt]

Parts:
SW524 Cooling Fan Switch ...AutoZone ...$32.99
Spal 4" 12v Pull Cooling Fan...EBay........$35.99
12v 2 prong male/female connector ...RadioShack....$5.99
Shrink Wrap ...RadioShack..$3.49
ATC Splash Proof Fuse Holder..AutoZone..$3.29
and about a 4' peice of wire i had laying around , i went a little extra and added some 1/4" split loom wire wrap , i got that at Shucks/O'Rielly Auto ..$6.99
So for roughly $88.74 i got a cooling fan that turns on when the temp gets too hot at about 195 then shuts off by itself at about 180

On the Thermo Switch , just go to AutoZone and give them that SW524 part number and they should be able to find it , i think its for a Mitsubishi car , i just cant remember its been too long

PICTURES:
Here is my setup , i got the fan from EBay (its the same fan KTM uses) its a Spal Pull Fan http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 0932579727 , it needs to be a pull fan not a push fan as it needs to PULL air thru the radiators , the switch is off a car , its a fairly straight forward install , also i would highly recommend getting a 1.6 or 1.8 radiator cap , and Engine Ice instead of coolant , it alone will drop your engine temps by 50 degree's here is a basic jetting guideline to go by for Main Jet

Sea level 165
2000 ft.. 162
4000 ft.. 160
6000 ft.. 158
8000 ft.. 155








The benefit is no worry about overheating and being stranded with no coolant or worse a blown head gasket 30 miles from your rig/camp

[Kyle450x]

Have you tried fitting it with your IMS tank? Any issues there?

Thanks for the pics Jim!!

[JimDirt]

Yea , i actually put the fan on when i had the stock tank on , so when i got the 3.2 i was slightly concerned , but i did not have to change anything , it bolted right up with plenty of clearance(the tank) , the only modification i had to do at all is shown in the 2nd 3rd and 5th pics , i had to slightly bend the Works Connection Radiator Brace to clear the fan motor , other than that is was 100% bolt on

[Kyle450x]

My next question would be did you wire it directly to your battery, or did you wire it into the harness somewhere? Any relays/fuses etc?

Thanks for all the help

[JimDirt]

2 wires (you could use a 2 wire brown household extension cord , as its plenty large enough to pull the load)if you dont want to go buy a 25 ft roll of wire at the auto parts store for about 5 ft of wire needed

Battery Positive thru inline 5 amp fuse to one side of Thermal Switch (fan switch from Autozone in radiator)

Out of other side of switch to fan motor (i ran it thru a 2 prong male/female connector) , second wire from fan to Ground (i think i grounded to coil mount where coil ground is)

No relays , just the one fuse near the battery connection , then i used corrugated wire wrap (like you find at auto parts stores , the same stuff all your cars under hood wiring is wrapped in) as seen in my pics

Thats pretty much it , the parts list is at the top of my picture post above

Here are pics of the wire routing and fuse location (inside airbox door)

[jerickson]

Does anyone know if that fan will fit with flatland radiator guards?

[JimDirt]

I have not , but if they are anything close in shape to the Works Connection guards , then they should fit with minimal modifications , if you note in my pics of where i notched out the WC guard , is the only place there might be a clearance issue , but a pair of metal snips and/or a hammer and dolly or pliers , will get the small area out of the way of contacting the fan housing , it is possible to mount the fan towards the frame more , i just did not feel it was necessary as i was more concerned with centering the fan on the radiator more than it touching the guard , but there is enough room to move it over slightly and possibly avoid any clearance issues

[cmra310]

Does anyone know if that fan will fit with flatland radiator guards?

Sorry to revive an old post but yes, should fit with flatland guards.
I have a spal 4" mounted and I also have flatland guards and an IMS 3.2 installed, no clearance issues at all.
Here is how I mounted my fan. https://youmagine.com/designs/crf450x-fan-mount-shroud
High temp resistant resin casted mounts will be available shortly if you dont have a 3D printer. Or, Creo Bot printer kits are available!

[JimDirt]

I like that , you did a nice job (better than how i mounted mine) , how sturdy/durable is the mount (vibration , U.V. Rays , heat , etc)?? , how long have you tested it ? , to see how it holds up to those elements ??

[cmra310]

I like that , you did a nice job (better than how i mounted mine) , how sturdy/durable is the mount (vibration , U.V. Rays , heat , etc)?? , how long have you tested it ? , to see how it holds up to those elements ??

Thanks, just a different approach to the same solution

Guess the answers to all your questions would depend on the material used to print or cast the mount.
I printed mine in ABS which is highly impact resistant and durable. ABS is resistant to antifreeze but will swell if soaked in gasoline(like 24hrs). Most ABS isn't UV resistant but it isn't really "out in the open" and I don't leave my bike outside when not riding it. I used the same switch as you so fan kicks on at 200 and ABS glass transition temp is 221, the transition temp is where it would just begin to soften(ABS doesn't "melt")so it would still take some force to deform the plastic.
I've had mine mounted since august 2014 and haven't had any issues....except dead batteries

My solution seems like it will work great if you have access to a 3D printer...less than a couple bucks in ABS

[JimDirt]

I am guessing you have a "stock" or Lead Acid battery , meaning not a Lithium or that type of high CCA battery , since i can run my bike in the slowest of terrain and shut it off (the engine temps will rise when you first shut it off because the water is no longer flowing) , and my battery has never even run down to where it would even crank slower , i have had that battery in my bike since 2011 , and its never gone down even a little in 100+ ambient temps , so i think your battery drain is more the battery itself , than anything related to the fan running

Again , i use 2 wire home extension cord , instead of automotive wiring , as like in a welder , the finer braid wire will hold more amps without drawing too much of a load over long distances , than the coarse braid automotive wire , look at Arc Welder cable , its got hundreds of small fine braids to carry the amp draw with minimal power draw

[cmra310]

I am guessing you have a "stock" or Lead Acid battery , meaning not a Lithium or that type of high CCA battery , since i can run my bike in the slowest of terrain and shut it off (the engine temps will rise when you first shut it off because the water is no longer flowing) , and my battery has never even run down to where it would even crank slower , i have had that battery in my bike since 2011 , and its never gone down even a little in 100+ ambient temps , so i think your battery drain is more the battery itself , than anything related to the fan running

Again , i use 2 wire home extension cord , instead of automotive wiring , as like in a welder , the finer braid wire will hold more amps without drawing too much of a load over long distances , than the coarse braid automotive wire , look at Arc Welder cable , its got hundreds of small fine braids to carry the amp draw with minimal power draw

Yes, was lead acid batteries. My bike has never cranked over fast though, even with a brand new battery. Almost every time it will stall for a fraction of a second, I assume near TDC, when cranking. The stroked crank, cam, and 13.5:1 cosworth really taxes the starter. It could well have been something besides the fan since I also had a baja design dual sport kit, vapor IC, and cobra charging system http://www.crfsonly.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/138_143/products_id/5414, but I will never know for sure since Baja Designs just rewound the stator and I now have a gel battery.

I am pretty sure it wasn't the fan's power lead. I used adequate gauged, stranded, wire. The number of strands has no affect on the current carrying capacity for direct currents(DC). Yes, for alternating currents(AC) the "skin effect" comes into play and more strands can reduce resistance...not the case for motorcyle DC systems.

But the indisputable facts are:
1. Fan is 30 Watt fan
2. OEM stator can only provide 20 Watts to battery(DC side of harness).

I suppose since draining a 12V lead acid battery below 10.5 volts causes irreparable damage, a different battery can handle the abuse better but I still don't recommend running this fan with the OEM charging system.
30-20= -10 , so the battery is in a constant state of drain while the fan is running, even with bike running

[JimDirt]

The fan will work fine with the stock stator , its what KTM uses for their fans (which is why its the fan i use) , and using fine braid wire does make a difference , its just like a Arc welder cable , the finer the wire , the more AMPS it will hold , its not the Watts that matter , its the AMPS that the fan draws that matter , which is 3 amps , which the stator and battery can handle fine (a lead acid battery is 5 amps , so the fan does not drain it before it can replenish) , a 5 AMP battery means it can draw a 5 AMP load for 1 hour

If the fan was drawing more than what the 5 AMP fuse i and everyone else uses , it would blow , mine has never blown and its been in there for several years , i also run a Trail Tech Striker which shows VOLTS , and my battery is always up around 13.7 while riding WITH the fan running , its never dropped below 13 Volts while riding

AMP Draw is what runs a battery down quickly , the fan runs on 3 amps max draw , so its absolutely no threat to the battery or the stock stator

I also ran the fan with a stock battery and it worked fine for 5 years (2 batteries within that time due to winter freezing) , before i switched to the Shorai which has been in my bike since 2011 (4 years and counting), though cranking was a slight bit slower with the stock lead battery than with the small Shorai , the stator in my bike is original , has not been altered , and works fine and puts out exactly what it put out new , and has for 9 years , my bike has not been started since July , i went out in my little shop yesterday and it started right up several times without a issue (10 times to be exact) , this is with the Shorai

I think what you should do is adjust your Decompressor (Exhaust side on right) , just 0.001 will make a difference in how easily or hard the engine cranks over , try loosening it 0.001 and see how it starts , then (after going back to where you started) try tightening it 0.001 and see how it starts , you WILL notice a difference , set it where it starts the easiest

Your issue was not the stator (unless it was bad to begin with) , and with a Gel battery now , you should have no issues starting the bike no matter how much the fan kicks on , even with a stock stator (your over thinking this issue your having) , i ride in 100+ temps all summer long and the fan runs after i shut the bike off for several minutes and my bike has ALWAYS started without even the slightest change in starting speed

Lots of others are running the same setup i am and i have not heard anyone having issues with the fan killing the battery unless the battery itself is weak , new battery , or better yet a Gel battery ,and no more issue , some people are even running them off stick battery packs you use for R/C cars , and they ride all day with them without charging , using the exact same fan

The indisputable facts are:
I have run this system for 8 years without 1 single issue , as well as have lots of others with the same results

The fan only draws 3 amps , which is fine on the battery and stock stator , absolutely no need for a higher output stator whatsoever to run the fan ....period ...

The OEM stator can handle the load of this fan just fine and still charge the battery without maxing out , easily

Not trying to argue or start a fight , but , i think the battery was your issue all along , lead acid and especially cheap lead acid batteries dont put out the AMPS that a good lead acid , or especially a Lithium battery ever will , so they will always crank slower

I would bet you could remove the high output stator (which is really only needed for high output lights and nothing more) , and put your stock one in with your Gel battery (not as good as a Lithium , but better than lead acid) , and i bet it will start EXACTLY the same as it does with the high output stator , and you will be pissed at all the money you just spent on the stator just to run a fan that runs perfectly fine with a stock stator and will crank the engine the same as it does after all that money spent ....your over thinking this whole thing ... seriously , i have no reason to mislead anyone , and others have used this setup long before i did (and they still are using it with no issues) , the fan WORKS fine with the stock stator and will do absolutely no harm whatsoever to any of your electrical system .....period....

Lastly
Check your Decompressor gap !

[cmra310]

The fan will work fine with the stock stator , its what KTM uses for their fans

I don't have a KTM stator on my Honda...and KTM 4 stroke OEM stators, except for a couple, output more than the CRF450X stator....http://www.bajadesigns.com/tech-info/stator-reference-chart

and using fine braid wire does make a difference, its just like a Arc welder cable

Sorry but you will have to provide some data more convincing than an observation of welders. Also not sure how you correlate welder wiring to the wiring for our CRF's?

the finer the wire , the more AMPS it will hold , its not the Watts that matter , its the AMPS

Watts and current are directly related, Watts = Amps x Amps x Resistance. The number of strands doesn't matter for current capacity of a DC system. True for an AC system since the current(AMPS as you say) is located mainly on the surface of the conductor; not sure how else to explain, maybe this helps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect

(a lead acid battery is 5 amps , so the fan does not drain it before it can replenish) , a 5 AMP battery means it can draw a 5 AMP load for 1 hour

You are referring to the batteries rating to COMPLETE discharge. Absolutely something you don't want to do to a stock battery. Not everyone is going to have the same situation. Probably since I still have stock radiators on a modded motor, the fan runs non-stop unless I am bookin it in at least third gear. When in motard trim on the street in summer heat, fan could not keep temps from climbing if I wasn't moving at all...traffic and lights.

If the fan was drawing more than what the 5 AMP fuse i and everyone else uses , it would blow , mine has never blown and its been in there for several years

Don't think I said I had any fuse issues or claimed the fan pulled more than SPAL's rating of 2.5amps. 2.5amps x 12volts = 30watts.

I think what you should do is adjust your Decompressor (Exhaust side on right) , just 0.001 will make a difference in how easily or hard the engine cranks over , try loosening it 0.001 and see how it starts , then (after going back to where you started) try tightening it 0.001 and see how it starts , you WILL notice a difference , set it where it starts the easiest

I hope that you didn't read that my CRF450X is a 2008...

I would bet you could remove the high output stator (which is really only needed for high output lights and nothing more) , and put your stock one in with your Gel battery (not as good as a Lithium , but better than lead acid) , and i bet it will start EXACTLY the same as it does with the high output stator , and you will be pissed at all the money you just spent on the stator just to run a fan

Then its a good thing I never assumed a higher output stator would affect my cranking amps besides keeping the battery at peak charge. Also good then that the bike is getting 72watts of LED lights as well as plans for R model fuel injector run by a microsquirt. Once its fuel injected it will be easier to force induct, as long as I can manage a dual compression ring, low compression, piston.

Lastly
Check your Decompressor gap !

Not on '08 and newer.

Thanks though.

[JimDirt]

Well , i guess all i can say is Good Luck , i hope the modification works out , the setup will work and will not hurt the STOCK stator or anything else in the system , its what the factories use , if your using higher output lighting , then you will need a larger LIGHTING COIL , and faster recovery for the battery , BUT , the battery must be able to handle the charge load or you will create yet another issue

Never checked to see if 08+ were different than 05-07 , did not think they changed that much with the engine thru the years , but for whatever reason they went with the R setup , and i only have a 05-07 Factory Service Manual , i thought the only difference was the Steering Damper and Graphics from 08 on , so never worried about it ....My Bad !!

As for the wiring correlation , When putting a "Trunk" battery in a race car (drag car for example , as i used to drag race) , you use Arc Welding cable because the farther you run wire the more AMP draw/load is put on the wire and it will get hot and could melt thru and /or cause too large a draw and actually harm electrical components because of the larger resistance and load, like frying a starter from cranking a super high compression engine , so anytime you run higher output items or long distance with higher output you either run larger diameter wire (you do this with both DC AND AC) or finer braid wire which will carry the larger current load without heating up or causing a larger draw due to resistance , that is a FACT ! , simply put , to lessen the load on the system , you run finer braid wire and avoid possible issues with components or melt down , it has been done for years in the automotive industry (Yes DC Voltage) , the same reason you run larger finer braided wire for a large amp in your 1000 watt car (DC) stereo ....Yes it matters , ever hear of Monster Cable ?? , there is a reason for doing it , and its not for looks , and Yes it makes a difference....

I still like your fan mount setup though !

Keep us posted on your progress